The Seven Cities of Wales is a self-supported, multi-day bikepacking adventure starting and finishing at Tiny Rebel Brewery Bar in Rogerstone, South Wales. The route makes a clockwise journey around the country, passing through Cardiff, Swansea, St Davids, Bangor, St Asaph, Wrexham and Newport before returning to where it all began. What makes the Seven Cities different is not simply the seven cities themselves. The real challenge is what connects them. Rather than following the easiest or shortest line around Wales, the route has been designed to create an off-road journey around an entire nation, using traffic-free cycleways, former railway lines, quiet country roads, gravel tracks, forests, bridleways, mountain trails and more technical terrain to link each part of the country together. Very few people can say they have ridden a mixed terrain lap of an entire nation while visiting every one of its cities. Only15 riders have completed the Seven Cities of Wales to date, making it a genuinely unusual bikepacking achievement. The journey begins relatively gently. Leaving Rogerstone, riders head towards Cardiff using a mixture of quieter roads, cycleways and off-road sections before continuing west towards Swansea. These opening stages deliberately allow riders to settle into the event. There are long stretches where progress can be relatively quick, particularly along the coastal cycleways and former railway infrastructure, although the route regularly introduces gravel and forest riding to give an early indication of what lies ahead. After passing through Swansea, the route continues west towards Llanelli, Pembrey and Ferryside. Subject to tides, weather and operation, riders may have the opportunity to use the ferry between Ferryside and Llansteffan. It is an optional part of the adventure rather than something riders should build their entire strategy around. If the ferry is not operating, an alternative land route must be used. The ferry is a publicly available service, and riders should always respect the operator's decision regarding whether a crossing can safely take place. From here, the route begins working its way into Pembrokeshire. Riders pass through coastal towns and villages including Amroth and Saundersfoot before continuing towards Haverfordwest, Newgale and eventually St Davids, the third city of the journey. The terrain becomes increasingly undulating as the route moves west, but St Davids also represents something of a turning point. Much of the opening part of the event has allowed relatively efficient progress. Beyond St Davids, Wales begins to ask considerably more of both rider and bike. Leaving the coast behind, the route heads towards Fishguard before climbing inland towards Rosebush and the Preseli Hills. Longer gravel sections and more natural off-road surfaces begin to feature, with riders climbing through forestry and eventually reaching the more exposed landscapes of the Preselis. Conditions can change quickly here, and the riding can vary considerably depending on recent weather. What may be quick gravel in dry conditions can become much slower after prolonged rain. The route then turns inland towards Lampeter and into Mid Wales, where the sense of remoteness increases significantly. Riders travel through areas including the Tywi Forest, Strata Florida and the Cambrian Mountains, mixing forestry roads, mountain tracks, bridleways and quiet lanes. Settlements become smaller, mobile reception can become unreliable and opportunities for food and water are often further apart. Riders need to think ahead, particularly when travelling late at night or early in the morning when rural shops, cafés and pubs may be closed. This part of the event can be deceptively slow. Distances that appear relatively modest on a map may include sustained climbing, rough surfaces, gates and exposed terrain. The Seven Cities is not an event where average road cycling speeds can simply be applied to the entire route. Eventually the route reaches Machynlleth before turning north into Eryri. Here the scale of the landscape changes again. Sections of the route use terrain associated with established long-distance mountain biking routes, including parts of the Trans Eryri, as riders travel through mountain valleys, forests and remote trails towards the Mawddach Estuary, Trawsfynydd, Penmachno and Betws-y-Coed. This is some of the most spectacular riding on the route, but it is also some of the most demanding. Sustained climbing, rougher descents and more technical terrain become a regular part of the journey. A mountain bike will increasingly feel at home here, while riders using gravel bikes will need appropriate tyres, gearing and confidence on rough ground. From Betws-y-Coed the route continues through the high landscapes of Eryri before eventually reaching Bangor, city number four. Conditions in the mountains should never be underestimated. Temperatures can be significantly lower than at the coast, and rain, strong winds and low cloud can arrive quickly. Mandatory equipment should therefore be viewed as the minimum required rather than an exhaustive packing list. Reaching Bangor brings another change in character. After several demanding stages through West and Mid Wales, the North Wales coast offers an opportunity to make quicker progress. Long stretches of cycleway and more forgiving terrain lead riders east towards St Asaph, the fifth city. The flatter riding can feel like welcome relief, although a strong coastal headwind can transform what looks like an easy section into something considerably harder. After St Asaph, the route turns inland again towards the Clwydian Range. The climbing quickly returns as riders work their way towards Coed Llandegla and the northern part of the route before descending towards Wrexham, the sixth city. Wrexham is another major psychological milestone. Six cities have now been completed and the route has begun its journey back towards South Wales, but there is still a significant amount of riding ahead. Leaving Wrexham, riders encounter sections around the Llangollen Canal before the route gradually moves away from the more populated areas and towards quieter countryside once again. Sections of the Trans Cambrian Way then form part of the journey towards Knighton. This mixture of quiet roads, gravel and off-road riding is a reminder that the route does not simply become easy because the major mountains of North Wales have been left behind. From Knighton, the route returns to the hills of Mid Wales and the Radnor countryside. This is quieter, less famous terrain, but it can be every bit as demanding. Long climbs, remote tracks and limited resupply require riders to remain organised even late in the event. Eventually the route works its way towards Glasbury and the Black Mountains. One of the final major landmarks is Gospel Pass. The climb is on road, but it arrives deep into the journey when accumulated fatigue can make even straightforward terrain feel very different. Riders climb high into the Black Mountains before descending through the Vale of Ewyas and continuing towards Abergavenny. From here, the route begins to feel increasingly familiar to riders from South Wales. It heads towards Monmouth before entering the Wye Valley, using forestry, old railway infrastructure and gravel trails to travel south through places including Redbrook and Tintern. The riding here can be fast and enjoyable, but tiredness often becomes one of the greatest hazards during the closing stages of a multi-day event. Concentration, navigation and bike condition remain important right to the end. The route continues towards Chepstow before returning to flatter terrain across the Gwent Levels. Newport is the seventh and final city, but reaching the city does not quite mean the adventure is complete. Riders still have the closing miles back towards Rogerstone before finally returning to Tiny Rebel Brewery Bar and completing their lap of Wales. The Seven Cities of Wales is a self-supported event. Riders are responsible for their own food, water, accommodation, navigation, equipment and mechanical repairs. Commercially available services such as shops, cafés, restaurants, pubs, hotels, campsites and bike shops can be used, provided they are equally available to other participants. There is no single correct way to approach the event. Some riders will spend nights outdoors, while others will use hostels, B&Bs or hotels. Some will ride long days and sleep for only a few hours, while others will divide the journey more evenly. The challenge is to manage your own pace, sleep, nutrition, equipment and decision-making while remaining within the event rules. The event may include staffed checkpoints, but checkpoint locations, opening times and services are communicated separately because these can vary. Riders should never rely on a checkpoint as their only source of food, water or support. The event remains self-supported throughout. The route itself can also change. Forestry operations, storm damage, flooding, fallen trees, construction work, agricultural activity, emergency incidents and other temporary closures can all affect access. For that reason, the current official route file is always the definitive route. Historic GPX files or routes saved from previous editions should not be used. Where a closure is known before the event, AMA will normally amend the official route. If an unexpected closure is encountered during the event, riders should follow any official diversion or organiser instruction provided. Closed land, locked gates and instructions from landowners, forestry staff or emergency services must always be respected. There are no closed roads anywhere on the event. Riders will use public roads throughout the route and must comply with the Highway Code at all times. Traffic levels vary considerably, from extremely quiet rural lanes to busier areas around towns and cities. Riders should remain visible, use appropriate lighting and ride defensively, particularly during darkness or poor weather. Off-road conditions can vary enormously. Gravel tracks may be extremely quick when dry and considerably slower when wet. Forests can remain muddy long after surrounding roads have dried, while natural trails may contain rocks, roots, standing water, loose surfaces or fallen branches. Riders should always ride within their ability and should never feel pressured to ride a section they would be safer walking. The route also crosses working countryside. Gates should always be left as they are found and livestock given plenty of space. Riders should expect to encounter sheep, cattle, horses, dogs and agricultural activity during the journey. Navigation is entirely GPS based, so riders should arrive understanding how their navigation device behaves when a signal is lost or when they leave the route. Automatic recalculation can sometimes create problems, particularly around tunnels, forests and complex trail networks, so the original route line should always remain the primary reference. A mobile phone should not be considered the sole means of navigation. Perhaps the best way to understand the Seven Cities of Wales is that it refuses to remain one type of event for very long. It begins almost like a fast coastal tour. Then it becomes a gravel ride. Then a mountain bikepacking route. Then a remote journey through Mid Wales. Then a ride through some of the biggest landscapes in the country. Then suddenly you're back on a coastal cycleway before turning south and doing it all again through the Welsh borders and Wye Valley. That variety is exactly what the event is intended to deliver. The seven cities provide the framework, but the real story is everything between them. How many people can say they have ridden an off-road loop of an entire nation and visited every one of its cities along the way? We believe only around 15 people currently can. Will you be next?